Sammanfattning
The trabecular bone with its network of trabeculae and varying sizes of intertrabecular ”marrow” spaces is well imaged in periapical radiographs. Lindh’s
index has three categories: sparse, alternating sparse and dense, and dense trabeculation, which can be used to evaluate the quality of the alveolar process before implant treatment, orthodontic procedures, tooth extraction and bone surgery. Furthermore, the index can be used to evaluate risk of low
bone mass and increased fracture risk. Bone turnover rate in the mandibular alveolar process is probably the fastest in the body, therefore the first signs of
osteoporosis and increased fracture risk may be apparent here. Bone remodeling takes place on endosteal surfaces where the osteoclasts and osteoblasts
are situated. Dense trabecular bone has more surface area than sparser trabecular bone that equates to
higher numbers of cells and more bone remodeling. Dense trabeculation is usually beneficial for bone strength, albeit leaves the individual susceptible to
faster bone loss if there is an imbalance in the remodeling process. Bone adapts to functional loading by increasing bone mass in weight bearing bones and
decreasing in unloaded bones.